Analysis AFL draft pool drained by academies

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We were able to rebuild during the GC and GWS draft concessions so while this is a bit s**t it's no excuse for a club not being able to rebuild.

If our academy was formed a couple of years earlier we'd have Jy Simpkin and Esava Ratugolea on our list right now. If you go even further back Jarman Impey would have qualified too. Ajak Dang looks like he could be a handy pick up for us this year. That to me gives a pretty good indication that our Academy Zone in a pretty good one.

If in the end all these academies increase the number of drafted players to go from 80 to 100 (excluding rookie picks) I think that will make it worth while.

Edit- The AFL could fix all this if they themselves ran the academies instead of relying on teams to do the work for them.
 
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May 19, 2004
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I don't see how academies drain the draft pool.

Anyone from an academy can be selected by a different club, and whilst the club with academy can match (and get a nominal discount) it's not diluting the pool, as that pick is now off the table.

Chol actually came from Brisbane's academy.

I hope academies stay. Some have reported Heeney would have played rugby league if not for the Sydney academy, so there academy actually brought him to our game, Increasing the talent pool, not decreasing.
 
May 1, 2016
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I don’t understand the talent pool dilution thing. We have a number of mature age picks and late draft picks who are playing incredible football that would never have had a look in if the expansion teams didn’t exist. These are the blokes that helped us win a premiership.

I’ve watched games from our glory years on DVD and I’m telling you there’s no difference in skills. It’s all just a cop out and deluded whinging from media campaigners and grumpy old timers.
 
Jan 13, 2005
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I don’t understand the talent pool dilution thing. We have a number of mature age picks and late draft picks who are playing incredible football that would never have had a look in if the expansion teams didn’t exist. These are the blokes that helped us win a premiership.

I’ve watched games from our glory years on DVD and I’m telling you there’s no difference in skills. It’s all just a cop out and deluded whinging from media campaigners and grumpy old timers.

I would say the talent pool is increasing with the academies. Guys like Spargo, Mutch, Himmleberg, Garthwaite, Chol etc... are playing at different clubs to their academy club. Some of these guys probably wouldn’t have been playing otherwise.
 

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Oct 27, 2014
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We were able to rebuild during the GC and GWS draft concessions so while this is a bit s**t it's no excuse for a club not being able to rebuild.

If our academy was formed a couple of years earlier we'd have Jy Simpkin and Esava Ratugolea on our list right now. If you go even further back Jarman Impey would have qualified too. Ajak Dang looks like he could be a handy pick up for us this year. That to me gives a pretty good indication that our Academy Zone in a pretty good one.

If in the end all these academies increase the number of drafted players to go from 80 to 100 (excluding rookie picks) I think that will make it worth while.

Edit- The AFL could fix all this if they themselves ran the academies instead of relying on teams to do the work for them.
The timing wasn't good for the when the AFL brought in NGAs. Three top 50 players picked from our zone. However I am not complaining as ended up with Shai Bolton, Jack Graham, Garth and Stengle in 2016.

Over the course of time there will be gun players again from our NGA, I read somewhere there is a Winmar that is nine but playing under 14s.
 
Oct 15, 2008
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acadamies dont drain the draft pool, they help players become better by exposing them to systems they wouldn't get in school or club teams. however, all teams should be given access to an academy, not just interstate clubs (though i can understand the AFL wanting to help QLD and NSW players get into and stay in the system - and their states) as someone mentioned before, if an academy develops a very good player, but doesnt have the points to draft him, then he goes somewhere else.
The AFL need to focus more on creating more elite pathways into the AFL - the TAC cup is good, but not great and interstate under 18 comps are very weak. i know QLD is nowhere near where it needs to be and TAS is gone. last years (national)draft had 78 players taken, of which

AFL (recycled) - 1
QLD - 5 (4 academy)
SA - 11
NSW - 1 (academy)
TAS - 1
VFL - 2
WA - 15
TAC - 42

thats way too high a number to be coming out of the TAC cup - the comp is not that strong

compared to 2008
AFL (recycled) - 4
QLD/NT - 3
SA - 13
NSW - 0
TAS - 4
WA - 16
TAC - 39

so in 10 years, there has been 0 development in SA, WA and TAS to have more players drafted, in fact they have all gone backwards - whereas NSW and QLD have improved due to their academies (though it not has improved numbers that much).
 
Oh no, those poor bottom clubs. That's almost as bd as coming 2nd last and having your first pick be 6, then finishing 12th the next year and having your first pick be 15.

Also remember we are the only team to ever finish last and not get pick 1
 
The article title is click bait. What the article said was that about 20% of potential draftees are tied one way or another to specific clubs. That's a very different thing.

Just say each club improves one player each to draftable standard - that's 18 more quality juniors per year (one squad every two(ish) years). In each round 4-5 players will be linked to a club. I can live with that.
 

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Oct 15, 2009
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The timing wasn't good for the when the AFL brought in NGAs. Three top 50 players picked from our zone. However I am not complaining as ended up with Shai Bolton, Jack Graham, Garth and Stengle in 2016.

Over the course of time there will be gun players again from our NGA, I read somewhere there is a Winmar that is nine but playing under 14s.
Just in time for cup #20 :D
 

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